Nevada Name Change Law

Name Change – General – Nevada

Related Nevada Legal Forms

Note: This summary is not intended to be an all inclusive discussion of the law applicable to an action for change of name in your State, but does include basic and other provisions.

Name Change Action Allowed: In Nevada, an adult may change their name by filing an action in the District Court with appropriate forms.

Who is an adult? A person who has attained the age of 18 years is considered an adult.

Who is a minor? A person who has not attained the age of 18 years is considered a minor.

Is there any reason why a person might not be allowed to change his or her name? Yes. The court must find that good reason for the name change exists and that the requested name change is consistent with the public interest. A person is not allowed to change their name in order to avoid judgments or legal actions against him or her, or to avoid debts and obligations. A person can not change their name to defraud any person.

Must the child agree to the name change? No, but the court may consider the wishes of a child old enough to express their wishes in considering whether to grant the Petition.

Must the parent(s) of the minor agree to the name change? The parents, and legal guardian, if any, would have every tight to file written objections to the requested name change.

Requirements for Name Change Order: For an order of name change to be granted, the court must find (1) compliance with the statutory requirements of the petition and notice; (2) that good reason exists for the change; and. (3) also find it consistent with the public interest. A change of name upon marriage, dissolution, or divorce meets these requirements.

Is Publication of a Notice Required? Yes.

Who must be provided notice of the Petition? The General Public by way of publication.

Can individuals “object” to my Petition for Name Change? Yes. Any reasonable objections made to the court may influence the court’s findings as to whether good reason exists for the name change and whether the change of name is consistent with the public interest.

Procedures:
The process for obtaining a name change for an adult in the State of Nevada begins with the filing of a Petition with the District Court in the district in which Petitioner resides. The Petition informs the Court of the Petitioner’s name, the name the Petitioner wishes to adopt, and the reasons for the requested change of name.

After the Petition is filed and the required fee is paid, the Petitioner is required to give public notice of the relief requested in a local newspaper. The notice must be published once each week for three successive calendar weeks.

After publication is complete, the Petitioner must submit proof of publication to the Clerk of the Court. This is accomplished by filing an affidavit provided by the newspaper verifying the publication. The affidavit is attached to a copy of the published notice and filed with the Clerk.

If, within 10 days after publication of notice, no written objection is filed with the clerk, and upon being satisfied by the statements contained in the Petition, or elsewhere, that good reason exists for the change of name, the court will make an order of Change of Name as requested in the Petition.

If written objections are filed with the clerk within the 10 days following publication of notice, the Court will schedule a hearing. At the hearing, the Court may take evidence from all interested parties. Then the Court amy grant or refuse the requested change of name.

Additional Information and Instructions

Statutes:

Verified petition: Any natural person desiring to have his or her name changed may file a verified petition with the clerk of the district court of the district in which the person resides. The petition shall be addressed to the court and shall state the applicant’s present name, the name which the applicant desires to bear in the future, the reason for desiring the change and whether the applicant has been convicted of a felony. [Title 3 Remedies; Special Actions and Proceedings, Chapter 41 Actions and Proceedings in Particular Cases Concerning Persons, Proceedings – Proceedings to Change Names of Persons, NRS 41.270.]

When publication of notice is required:

1. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, upon the filing of the petition, the applicant shall make out and procure a notice that must:

(a) State the fact of the filing of the petition, its object, his present name and the name which he desires to bear in the future; and
(b) Be published in some newspaper of general circulation in the county once a week for 3 successive weeks.

2. If the applicant submits proof satisfactory to the court that publication of the change of name would place the applicant’s personal safety at risk, the court shall not require the applicant to comply with the provisions of subsection 1 and shall order the records concerning the petition and any proceedings concerning the petition to be sealed and to be opened for inspection only upon an order of the court for good cause shown or upon the request of the applicant. [Title 3 Remedies; Special Actions and Proceedings, Chapter 41 Actions and Proceedings in Particular Cases Concerning Persons, Proceedings – Proceedings to Change Names of Persons, NRS 41.280.]

Order of court; hearing on objections; disposition and rescission of order:

1. If, within 10 days after the last publication of the notice no written objection is filed with the clerk, upon proof of the filing of the petition and publication of notice as required in NRS 41.280, and upon being satisfied by the statements in the petition, or by other evidence, that good reason exists therefor, the court shall make an order changing the name of the applicant as prayed for in the petition. If, within the period an objection is filed, the court shall appoint a day for hearing the proofs, respectively, of the applicant and the objection, upon reasonable notice. Upon that day the court shall hear the proofs, and grant or refuse the prayer of the petitioner, according to whether the proofs show satisfactory reasons for making the change. Before issuing its order, the court shall specifically take into consideration the applicant’s criminal record, if any, which is stated in the petition.

2. Upon the making of an order either granting or denying the prayer of the applicant, the order must be recorded as a judgment of the court. If the petition is granted, the name of the applicant must thereupon be as stated in the order and the clerk shall transmit a certified copy of the order to the State Registrar of Vital Statistics.

3. If an order grants a change of name to a person who has a criminal record, the clerk shall transmit a certified copy of the order to the Central Repository for Nevada Records of Criminal History for inclusion in that person’s record of criminal history.

4. Upon receiving uncontrovertible proof that an applicant in the petition falsely denied having been convicted of a felony, the court shall rescind its order granting the change of name and the clerk shall transmit a certified copy of the order rescinding the previous order to:

(a) The State Registrar of Vital Statistics for inclusion in the State Registrar’s records.

(b) The Central Repository for Nevada Records of Criminal History for inclusion in the applicant’s record of criminal history. [Title 3 Remedies; Special Actions and Proceedings, Chapter 41 Actions and Proceedings in Particular Cases Concerning Persons, Proceedings – Proceedings to Change Names of Persons, NRS 41.290.]

Other Name Change References:

Age of majority:
All persons of the age of 18 years who are under no legal disability, and all persons who have been declared emancipated pursuant to NRS 129.080 to 129.140, inclusive, are capable of entering into any contract, and are, to all intents and purposes, held and considered to be of lawful age. [Title 11 Domestic Relations, Chapter 129 Minors’ Disabilities; Judicial Emancipation of Minors, NRS 129.010.]